


His Mother's Son

by tielan



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-23 09:38:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3763294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/pseuds/tielan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They say he takes after his father. But they don't understand who Steve Rogers is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Mother's Son

**Author's Note:**

> For the Trope Bingo box ' _jock dad, nerd son_ '. And no, Steve is not a jock, and his son as I have depicted him is not a nerd. Consider this a subversion of the trope - on several levels.
> 
> There is a slide-by reference to a sexual assault (not to or by any of the characters).

They say he takes after his father.

They don’t understand anything.

That first day of high school, he watches the guys deciding if he’s a threat or not, and does his best to seem harmless. It helps to fit in, he knows, although it’s not necessary. And it’s nice to be one of the crowd, nothing special.

 

 _But you are someone special_ , says Dad. _You’re unique._

 _Just like everyone else_ , says Mom dryly, earning an exasperated look from Dad.

 

He has to fight back a few times at least - guys who think that he's been coddled, or who want to test themselves against "Cap's son". Luckily, the one time in his freshman year he comes home with a major shiner and detention, Dad’s away on a mission. Which leaves him dealing with Mom, who’s less expressive when it comes time to tell his side of the story, but also more accepting of the whole situation.

 

He darts a glance at her under his lashes, _You’re not disappointed?_

 _I don’t believe in starting fights,_ her eyes glitter with the smile that barely shows on her lips, _I believe in finishing them._

 

On the other hand, the sports coaches always seem to think Captain America’s son should be something extraordinary on the field, in the court, on the mats.

The thing is, he’s not a bad athlete, he’s just not the star of the team. Which is fine by him. More than fine, actually. He’s had more than enough limelight all his childhood to be quite happy to fade into the background, in social situations, in classes, and on the field.

Which confuses a lot of the guys, because doesn’t he want to make his dad proud?

It’s hard to explain that his dad has different standards of pride to most men.

 

_I’m sorry for getting you out so late._

Dad stares out through the windscreen into the darkness for a while. _You helped that girl – stopped what was happening, called out those guys, fought for what was right. So you can be sorry for getting me out of bed to pick you up, but I’m not._

 

Of course, there are consequences for doing the right thing in a society and time when ‘good enough' is good enough and fear makes people small-hearted. And he sees the irony in his situation: they think that, as Captain America's son, he should be different. But what they really mean is that he should be the same as them – just stronger.

Later – years later – he realises the consequences aren’t as bad as they might have been if he’d been anyone else’s son, but in the immediacy of school and his sporting activities, it’s pretty bad.

 

 _I brought the salve_ , Mom says from the bedroom door.

He automatically starts to hide the bruises before he realises she knows. _Thank you._ Then, when she hands over the tub, he asks, _What do you do when you become a target?_

She considers him for a long moment. _People will always see what they want, think what they want_. Her eyes are blue as the ocean, and as changeable, but her soul is as steady as an anchor. _The trick is to find the people who matter to you and not give a fuck about anyone else._

They say he’s his father’s son.

They don’t realise how much of him is his mother’s.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I believe this is the second time I have committed kid!fic. Although this one is decidedly not in the style of kid!fic at all...


End file.
